Unified visual presenter

Abstract

The present document relates to the presentation of visual data that is stored on a mobile communication device, in particular to the presentation of sequences of images such as slideshows that may further include animation sequences as well as static images. A method for displaying data includes: transferring visual data from a mobile communication device ( 100 ) to a rendering device ( 200 ) via a wireless communication link; transferring control data from the mobile communication device ( 100 ) to the rendering device ( 200 ); rendering the received visual data in the rendering device ( 200 ); and displaying the visual data, where the displaying of the visual data is controlled in accordance with the control data received from the mobile communication device ( 100 ).

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for controlling the displaying of visual data by a rendering device, including:
 receiving, at a mobile communication device, an indication of visual data being available at an external server, the indication including information relating to the visual data; 
 issuing a request for transcoding the visual data into a unified data format at the external server, the unified data format specifying layout and timing for displaying the visual data, wherein visual data formats and/or the resolution of visual data in the unified data format are suitable for displaying by the rendering device; 
 receiving the transcoded visual data at the mobile communication device; 
 transferring control data and the transcoded visual data from the mobile communication device to the rendering device via a wireless communication link; 
 rendering the transcoded visual data at the rendering device; and 
 displaying the transcoded visual data by the rendering device, in accordance with the control data. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the visual data includes compressed image and/or video data. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the visual data is provided on the mobile communication device in a unified data format, the unified data format being a file container format. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 3 , further including:
 transcoding the visual data into the unified data format at an external server; and 
 transferring the transcoded visual data to the mobile communication device. 
 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the visual data includes an animated presentation slide and the method includes: generating video data for capturing the animation effects of the presentation slide. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the visual data includes video data, and wherein the transcoding of the visual data includes setting one or more markers at time positions in the video data at which the display of video data is to be interrupted. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the visual data includes a plurality of media objects such as static images and/or movie clips, the method further including:
 transferring media objects to the rendering device separately in response to user instructions. 
 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the control data includes cursor position data, the method further including:
 overlaying a cursor symbol on the displayed visual data in accordance with the cursor position data. 
 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 8 , further including:
 generating the cursor position data according to signals from one or more acceleration sensors of the mobile communication device. 
 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 8 , further including:
 generating the cursor position data according to signals from a touchscreen of the mobile communication device. 
 
     
     
       11. A mobile communication device, including:
 a memory unit adapted to store visual data; 
 a communications subsystem adapted to: 
 receive an indication of visual data being available at an external server, the indication comprising information relating to the visual data 
 send a request to the external server for transcoding the visual data into a unified data format at the server, the unified data format specifying layout and timing for displaying the visual data, wherein visual data formats and/or the resolution of visual data in the unified data format are suitable for displaying by a rendering device; 
 receive the transcoded visual data from the external server; and 
 transfer the transcoded visual data and control data to the rendering device for display at the rendering device; and 
 a user input device adapted to generate the control data from user input to control the display of the transcoded visual data on an external display device. 
 
     
     
       12. The mobile communication device according to  claim 11 , wherein the user input device is further adapted to generate cursor position data for controlling a cursor that is displayed together with the visual data. 
     
     
       13. The mobile communication device according to  claim 11 , wherein the user input device includes a device movement interpreter. 
     
     
       14. The mobile communication device according to  claim 11 , wherein the user input device includes a touchscreen. 
     
     
       15. The mobile communication device according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the visual data includes compressed image and/or video data and 
 the mobile communication device is configured to transfer each image or animated sequence to the rendering device separately in response to user instructions. 
 
     
     
       16. A visual presentation system including:
 the mobile communication device according to  claim 11 , and 
 a file converter for receiving input documents from the mobile communication device, transforming input format to a unified animation format, and for returning the unified animation format to the mobile communication device.